


Alpha Protocol

by SLiverofJade



Series: Omega Protocol [3]
Category: Original Work
Genre: Alpha Males, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alpha/Omega, Claiming Bites, Colonization, F/M, Knotting, Major Original Character(s), Mating, Mating Bites, Mating Bond, Mating Cycles/In Heat, Omega Verse, Original Character(s), Original Fiction, Outer Space, Space Flight, omega female
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-05-13
Updated: 2018-08-31
Packaged: 2018-10-31 11:40:11
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 5
Words: 4,595
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10898610
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SLiverofJade/pseuds/SLiverofJade
Summary: For many Omegas, being surrounded by a thousand Alphas would be a wet dream come true.  For Aminah Bassani, it was her worst nightmare.She tried to avoid the mass exodus by hiding among the humans.  Unfortunately, that didn't go as planned.  Now she's plotting her escape out from under the too watchful eye of Torbyn Dockery.





	1. Busted

            Aminah supposed she should take the time to appreciate her first and only trip in a cop car.  After all, she wasn’t arrested or handcuffed, so the ride was fairly comfortable, all things considered.  Too bad they didn’t use the lights or siren.  Oh well, they wouldn’t compare to the fireworks about to come, anyway.

            There was a pause in the hum of the tires on pavement when they stopped to fold up the wheels and the vehicle switched to hover over the gravel road that was more potholes than road.  A sure sign that they were crossing from county territory to the reservation.

            “Man, it’s pretty up here,” one of the officers said, staring up at the towering trees.  She was right, which was only one part of the many reasons why Aminah spent most of her childhood running through woods very similar to these.  She used the opportunity to soak in the sight because shortly she’d never see home again.

            Eventually, the winding series of switchbacks ended and the road widened into a parking area delineated by old logs.  Like most reservations over the past couple hundred years, this one was remote and lacking nearly all modern infrastructure.  A trail led to a cluster of ancient A-frame cabins in desperate need of new roofs, windows, walls, foundations…  Nothing like home sweet home.

            The female opened the door for her and Aminah stepped out to face the semi-circle of Alphas blocking the path to the crumbling cabins.  Their combined pheromones hit her like a brick wall at ten paces.  She stiffened until her neck ached, fighting the instinctive urge to submit to their authority.

            “Thank you, officers, for bringing her to us,” the largest of them said, continuing the small talk with the two cops without moving his glare off her.  One male reached for the backpack slung over one shoulder.  Her grip tightened momentarily before relinquishing the bag.  They were on edge as it was without her antagonizing them.  No Alpha liked seeing an Omega or a female with humans, or an un-Claimed one amidst so many unmated Alphas.  Their instincts pushed them to fight off the others, isolate her, and then mate her within an inch of their lives.  And they were surprised she’d tried to avoid the mass exodus.

* * *

            Torbyn sucked in a deep breath as the police car zoomed away with a faint whirr thrumming through the trees.  They were scheduled to depart in one week, the Alphas were already at each others’ throats, and now he had a wayward Omega on his hands.  Tensions would be cranked up to eleven as everyone would soon wonder how many more Omegas might miss the boat.  Alphas and Betas could make do with the humans for the next year until the first trade vessel set out for Hipparchus.  But Omegas, being the smallest and physically weakest of them all, would be vulnerable to the very bigots who banished them.

            Cupping her elbow in a palm, she stiffened, but didn’t shrug him off.  Strange that she wasn’t calmed by his touch.  Omegas generally relaxed in the presence of an Alpha, and the smell of fear grew thicker until he practically choked on the bitterness of it.  Yet she allowed him to escort her to the trailer that served double duty as his home and office.

            As usual, the rusty tin can rocked when he opened the door.  She hesitated, eyeing the doorway with uncertainty.  Rolling his eyes, he gripped her waist, nearly spanning it with his hands, and lifted her up.  She lost her balance and he pressed a hand against the small of her back until she found it again.  The female tensed even further, which he wouldn’t have thought possible.  Pushing her farther inside, he climbed in and shut the door, setting the rocking back in motion.  Her terror spiked to fill the tiny space until he wanted to gag, yet she lifted her chin and somehow managed to look down her nose at him despite the vast difference in their heights. 

            Now that he got a good look at her, his brow furrowed at the scars on her neck.  A Claiming bite.  What the hell sort of Alpha would leave his mate behind?  Rage roared through him, but he ignored the instincts hounding him.  Soon enough he’d have a reprieve from too many Alphas, just him, his crew, and the silent beauty of space.  The launch date couldn’t come soon enough.


	2. Well, CRAP

            In the dimness of the rattletrap trailer, Aminah risked a glance at the face of the lead Alpha.  His face was built like the rest of him: rugged, powerful, and hard.  He would never be at risk of being called “pretty,” but the dominant masculinity he exuded made her hindbrain go _ooh yes please!_ And the concentration of his pheromones in the metal box wasn’t helping the reaction of her damn submissive femininity.

            “Aminah, right?  I’m Torbyn Dockery.  Where is your Alpha?” he demanded in much the same tone of voice someone might ask an unruly child where their parents were.  Repressing the automatic flinch at his anger, she disregarded the notion of telling him the full truth.  No matter how pissed off he was, there was no way in hell she could risk that.

            “I don’t know,” she shrugged one shoulder and tried to hunch in on herself to appear smaller.  Throwing in a trembling lip and a tear or two might soften his stern demeanour, but she doubted he’d fall for that.  Besides, she never could cry on cue.

            “His name?”  Her little manipulative display worked because his throaty tone softened a little, although it still reverberated through her breastbone.

            “Gaelan Abbott.”  Since the police had checked her identification and notified the Gamma reservation, she didn’t even try pussyfooting around the question because it’d be easily confirmed via the records at the Council for the Relocation of Altered People.  Originally it was “Enhanced Humans,” but “normal” humans objected to the term.  So, in a stellar PR move, the name changed to CRAP.  “W-we were separated by some humans at a rest stop on our way to the Beta launch.”

            “And you’ve been hiding among the humans all this time?”  She nodded, briefly looking up from the scarred linoleum.  Those grey eyes relaxed at the corners and the line of his mouth stopped thinning.  The big tough male was thawing.  Once, Aminah would never have condoned manipulating an Alpha’s protective instincts.  That was before she was mated.

* * *

            “When’s your next Heat due?”  The tiny female stared up at him in shock.  All right, maybe he should have been a little more delicate about that, but really there was no polite way of asking if a couple hundred Alphas were going to have a deathmatch for the right to mount her, which was a very definite possibility since she no longer smelled like her mate, and hardly smelled mated at all.  Torbyn sighed and scrubbed a hand over his face.

            “Not for at least another month,” answered Aminah, blushing furiously.  He blew out a breath of relief.

            “A cabin’s being cleared out for you,” he said, opening the door and relishing the fresh air.  He had to get away from her sweet cinnamon and honey scent that was making his cock stir despite the bitter hints of fear.  Seeing an approaching figure, he helped her down, this time avoiding touching her as much possible.  Most of the Omegas he’d known he was related to, so needless to say, he’d never before experienced the strong pull of an Omega that was extolled in many of their people’s narratives.  “Zhao here will get you settled.”

            The male simply gave a nod before offering Aminah his arm.  Torbyn had to fight back a growl to warn off his friend because his stupid lizard brain didn’t like another man touching her, even though the ground was uneven and therefore treacherous in the dimming light if one wasn’t familiar with the terrain.  Less than five minutes in her company and already he was losing his fucking mind.  The coming week was going to be the longest of his damn life.

            Grumbling to himself, he went back inside and slumped into the chair where the tiny dinette used to be.  Since he would never have fit on the miniscule bench seat, he’d ripped it out in favour of a recliner and side table, both nearly as run down as the trailer itself. 

            “Ok asshole, where are you?” Logging into his commpad, he brought up the files of all registered Alphas and punched in the name “Gaelan Abbott.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fun fact: wrote this today while home with a migraine, binge-watching Marvel shows/movies. What would they have named reservations? What's another Greek letter other than Alpha, Beta, or Omega? Oh look, it's the Hulk. Gamma reservation! Get it? Gamma radiation? ...I'll see myself out.


	3. Chapter 3

As soon as the guide was gone, Aminah locked the door and windows. Supposedly, there was no place safer for the last Omega on Earth than surrounded by Alphas in a remote camp.  However, she knew the ideal had no basis in reality and wasn’t about to take any chances. The miniature A-frame cabin was sized perfectly for her from the days when it was a scout camp, though it was probably a cramped fit for the previous occupant, a Beta male by the lingering odour of sandalwood incense and cut hay drying in the sun. 

A quick perusal of the cupboards revealed a few packets of oatmeal, dried soup packages, and other items with cooking instructions consisting of “add hot water.”  Zhao had told her that most meals were communal since in a week’s time they were driving over to Utah for the final North American launch from Black Mesa.  The crew that wouldn’t be in cryo sleep was appreciating fresh food while it was readily available, and everyone was having a last taste of foods that they might never experience again.  Quite frankly, she preferred starvation to eating with a bunch of Alphas.  For many unmated Omegas, being surrounded by a thousand Alphas would be a wet dream come true.  For Aminah, it was her worst nightmare.  Add in how helpless she’d be while in stasis and it was hell. 

Fingering a pouch of oatmeal, a devious plot began to take form, but in order for it to work she’d have to venture out into the midst of them.  Despite her misgivings, she was going to have to join them for dinner. In which case, she was going to need a shower and a change of clothes.

* * *

 

Torbyn watched with a scowl at the way his fellow Alphas seemed to lose their minds at the presence of the Omega in their midst.  They doted on her, seemingly unaware of the way she tensed when they came too close or the subtle flinches when one of them brushed her.  The mated ones were just as bad.  With their loved ones already on Hipparchus, they directed their need to care for their mate onto someone that they could help.  It was like she wasn’t even mated for all they were tripping over themselves like fools.

It was probably her scent, since she barely smelled mated at all.  He’d never heard of anyone losing that scent marker as much as she had.  Mates were rarely separated for long, so there wasn’t much research to go by.  The puzzle was like a sore tooth he couldn’t leave alone.

He’d found very little on Aminah Bassani.  Twenty-four years old, mated at twenty to Gaelan Abbott, ten years her senior.  No employment history or higher education for either of them.  Her dad, an Alpha, died several years ago while attempting to prevent some drunken asshole from accosting a woman in a bar.  Her mom, a Beta, was already on Hipparchus, probably worried out of her mind when her daughter didn’t show up as scheduled.  Nothing to indicate why she’d be abandoned.

“Whose death are you contemplating?” Zhao asked, stepping over the log to take a seat beside him while carefully balancing two bowls of chili, one of which he passed over.

“The bastard who left her behind,” he growled with a jerk of his head across the fire at Aminah, who was giggling at something Amy, his navigator, said.  He shoveled a spoonful of chili in his mouth, then promptly made a face.

“Yeah, can’t imagine leaving a mate behind,” his friend and second-in-command agreed, shaking his head in disgust.  Many people assumed Betas didn’t love their mates as fiercely as Alphas and Omegas simply because they weren’t subject to hormonal cycles as strongly.  Instead of flying into rages, they tempered their instincts with logic, which made them equally as dangerous as Alphas with the subtlety of their own dynamic.  Like Omegas, they didn’t care much about honour or anything of that nature. They cared about results. Anyone who attempted to come between a Beta and their mate would wake up dead.  

“The way he’s been cooking, I think Skillet’s afraid he’ll never see another spice again.”  Sighing, Torbyn dropped the spoon back in the bowl and reached for the pilsner at his feet to rinse the taste out of his mouth.  He only succeeded in adding beer to the taste of jalapeño dipped in cloves.

“Too bad we can’t feed it to the normies, eh?” joked Zhao, digging into his dinner.

“We don’t wanna piss them off even before we load up.  Bad enough we can’t put ‘em on ice like everyone else,” he snorted, then leaned forward to rest his forearms on his knees.  “Sidney’s going to put her as far away from the human quarters as possible.”

“Smart.”  There was no need to ask which “her” the captain was referring to.  Having already wolfed down his food, he reached for Torbyn’s discarded bowl.  “I’ll program her pod to report in more often than the rest.”

“Thanks.”  He took another swig from the long-neck and watched the way the light of the flames reflected off the amber bottle. As much as he wanted to enjoy one of his last nights on Earth, his responsibilities and the looming deadline weighed heavy on his mind. And morning would come far too early. He downed his beer and stood up. Zhao moved to follow, but he clapped a hand on the Beta’s shoulder.  “Stay. Only one of us has to be up at the ass-crack of dawn.” 

“’Night,” he said around another mouthful of curried chili con queso.  Lazily waving a hand in acknowledgement, Torbyn wound his way back to the trailer.  Despite the general din, one particular laugh somehow filled his ears.

* * *

Aminah stumbled back to her cabin by the brilliant moonlight that penetrated the sparse Ponderosas crowning the mountain.  In order to do what she needed to do, she’d needed a little liquid courage.  Three beers for an Omega, particularly one as small as her, was enough to get trashed.  At least her size made it easier to slip away unnoticed while everyone continued to party.  With their greater fortitudes and body mass, the Alphas and Betas would bounce back easily by morning.  For now, without Omegas or children to worry about, they were drinking like it was going out of style – because it was.  Alcohol was not a priority when it came to supplies.  Nor would it be until the colony’s agriculture was stable enough to sustain non-essential crops.

Now was her best chance.  She’d made nice with the locals, gotten their smells all over her, and she was covered in wood smoke.  Hopefully whatever scent she left behind would be so layered that it would be difficult for them to pick her out.  Following whatever trail she’d leave would be like following breadcrumbs the size of her fist.  After retrieving her bag from the cabin, she carefully picked her way through the trees, tripping once or twice over her unsteady feet.

A car was too risky; the noise and the lights were sure to alert someone, especially the guards at the gate that blocked the entrance.  And, oh yeah, she was drunk.  Hoofing it cross-country was equally as foolhardy in her state, and the Alphas undoubtedly knew the area intimately.  So her plan was to cut through the woods before veering back towards the road.

She was too distracted with minding her footing to notice the dark figure blocking her path.

* * *

Torbyn woke immediately to the sounds of someone trying to be stealthy while walking on gravel in the parking area.  Grabbing his Springfield from atop the crate that served as a nightstand, he pulled on a pair of jeans and clipped the holster to the waistband.  He shoved his feet into the boots by the door and quickly tied them with military precision.

Whoever it was, they were blundering through the trees like a drunken bear.  No, scratch that.  After tailing them for a minute, they were too small and clumsy for a bear.  A shift in the breeze brought her scent to him.  Of course, he should have known.  Circling around to cut her off was easy enough.  She was making enough noise he didn’t have to bother with stealth.

“It’s a little late to be wandering.”  She didn’t notice him until he spoke, which was a moment before she would have walked into him.  The dumbfounded expression on her face was comical, cute even.  Surprise brightened her natural perfume, soured by the alcohol she’d consumed.  He was going to have whomever allowed her to drink that much scrubbing toilets from here to Hipparchus.

“I, uh, couldn’t sleep,” she stammered weakly and wobbled before overcorrecting.  Another waver and she found a semblance of balance.  With hips like hers it was hard to fathom how she could possibly be off-centre.  “So I thought I’d go for a walk.”

“With a backpack?” he huffed in amusement.

“I don’t have to answer to you, you’re not my Alpha!”  She straightened to her full height, which barely reached his chest, and nearly toppled backwards in the process.  He shot forward to steady her with a gentle hand on either shoulder.

“I’m not your Alpha,” he agreed.  “And I don’t want to be, but I do understand now why he’d want to leave you behind.”  That sparked off a slew of profanities, half of which didn’t make sense, nor were physically possible.  He waited until she stopped for breath.  “Now am I going to have to drag you back or are you going to cooperate?”

“Screw you,” she spat.  It was kind of cute, really.  Like a Jack Russell terrier trying to pick a fight with a retriever.  Too bad for her he found terriers annoying.

“You really don’t want to push me,” he ground out.  “If I can’t trust you not to run, I will put you under guard.”

“Oh, I’m sorry, is this where I’m supposed to quiver in fear?”  Even in the dark, he could see her light green eyes widen in feigned concern.

“I’m trying to get your ass to Hipparchus in one piece.  The sarcasm’s not appreciated,” he frowned.

“Your presence is not appreciated, but here we are.”  She spread her hands wide.  Heaving a sigh, he stooped, hooked an arm behind her knees, and hefted her onto his shoulder as he stood, backpack and all.  She was heavier than she looked.  “Put me down, you asshole!”  Small fists beat on his back.  He delivered a swat to her plump ass.  She twisted around like a snake to sink her teeth into his triceps.  It hurt like a sonofabitch.

“At least buy me dinner first.”  At that, she released him to mutter some more curses and threats. 

By the time he made it to her cabin she was snoring, and he was convinced that whomever came up with the notion that Omegas were light, delicate little things had never actually met one.  He deposited her on the bed and extricated her from the backpack.  She almost looked sweet while asleep.  Too bad she had to wake eventually.


	4. Update

My asshole in law has been given a year to live, give or take 6 months, so updates will be ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯


	5. Devil Got My Woman

Aminah woke with the smell of Alpha in her nose.  Heart pounding like it was trying to wake her up faster, she sat bolt upright.  Door shut but unlocked. Windows were still cracked to air out the cabin, lengths of wood in the tracks to prevent them from opening further.  The bed carried only her scent markers, no one else’s, which was a virtually infallible sign she’d spent the night alone. Unless the Beta who’d stayed here previously decided to nip in.  The last, and most important, inspection was for herself. No one had marked her, either. She was fully dressed and without pain other than a dull headache, but that was due to alcohol and not someone’s fists.  Or foot.

Finished confirming there was no immediate threat or harm done to her, she fell backwards and promptly regretted it when the pounding in her head upped the tempo.  After a time, the headache subsided to a mild torture instead of punishing agony and she managed to drag herself out of bed.

Leaning against the chipped Formica counter and sipping a glass of cold water, she considered her plan of attack.  Plan A was a bust. It was time to put plan B into effect. The stereotype of the big dumb Alpha existed for a reason, and Aminah was going to milk their instincts for all they were worth.  She just needed to pick a mark.

After taking full advantage of the shower - who knew when she’d next get the chance - she donned her armour: oversized black hoodie, cut-off shorts, and a tight-fitting black tank top.  She even slapped on some lip gloss. And for the cherry on top, she tied up her hair in two loose buns high on the back of her head. She’d need to dye it again soon since it was mostly her natural dull brown colour, the red nearly at the ends.  Maybe blonde this time.

She stuffed her pockets with what little money she had, a few clean pairs of socks and underwear, several packets of instant oatmeal, a few toiletries, a pack of heat suppressants, and a water bottle.  Some time ago she’d sewn pockets on the inside and its size hid everything but the water bottle, which she stuffed into the kangaroo pocket.

Stepping outside, she found her target almost immediately.  Hopefully her luck would hold.

“Hi, Sidney,” she flashed her best I’m-not-plotting-anything grin.  People often told her that her smile was dazzling and infectious and she should do it more, not that the last bit was at all condescending.  She hadn’t had much reason to smile in a long time, anyway. “I thought I heard you say you were heading into town?” 

“That’s right, picking up a shipment of supplies.”  A corner of the Beta’s mouth tipped up in response to Aminah’s false cheer. 

“I was wondering if I could hitch a ride into town with ya’ll,” she said brightly.   _ Just a harmless little Omega, nothing up my sleeve _ .

“Sure, you can ride the Beta bus,” Sidney joked.  She even offered Aminah a hand to climb up into the cab of the truck.  Good sense dictated she accept to maintain the illusion of helplessness.  Gunnar soon joined them, and she was sandwiched between two virtual strangers who both checked that she was wearing her seatbelt.  If either one of them had offered to buckle her in, she would have broken their hand.

She almost felt sorry for them.  Instincts would tell them they failed to protect her.  Not that she needed it, or at least not from humans, anyway.  They were all subject to their engineered hindbrains. If not for the edicts of biology, she could have had a somewhat decent life.

Once they made it down off the mountain, Sidney pulled over at a truck stop along the highway for gas, explaining that it was cheaper there than in town.  Aminah hopped out with the excuse of needing to “tinkle.” Most people were under the impression that Omegas needed the washroom more than any other dynamic, and she wasn’t above using that to her advantage.

Aminah passed the toilets to the far side of the station where the semi-trucks fueled up and watched the drivers for a few minutes.  After making her selection, she swallowed her nerves and approached the third one down.

* * *

 

“What do you mean she’s disappeared?”  Torbyn spat out each word as if it tasted like the chili he’d attempted to eat the night before.  The phone creaked dangerously in his grip and he imagined it was Aminah Bassani’s lily white throat he gripped instead.

“Someone must’ve taken her,” growled Gunnar.  Naturally it never occurred to the other Alpha that she was a demon given human form purely to make his life a living hell and not the perfect little angelic waif she appeared to be.

“I doubt it,” he sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose.   _ If anyone did kidnap her, they’d drop her off at the gate an hour later, bound and gagged.  I’d demand ransom to take her back _ .  “Ask if you can get a look at the CCTV.  If they won’t cooperate, call the cops and ask for Schneider or Hernandez.”  He’d rather not get the authorities involved, but if the cops who delivered her to him managed to wrangle her before, they might be able to track her down.

“You want I call Zhao?”

“No, he’s here with me.  Keep me posted,” he ordered, hung up, and then proceeded to beat his forehead against one of the few spots on his console that was clear of equipment.  Maybe if he hit his head hard enough he’d wake up and find that this was all a terrible chili-induced nightmare.

“Problem?” Zhao asked from his own mock-up dashboard a few feet away.

“No, I felt like giving myself brain damage three weeks before lift-off.”  Sitting up, he scrubbed a hand over his face. “I have to go take care of something.  Think you can take it from here?”

“However shall we survive without our fearless leader?”  Zhao’s sarcasm was as dry as Dockery’s. “If only we had a well-trained crew-”

“If only they weren’t all smart-asses.”  Heaving himself to his feet, he tucked the phone in his pocket and went through the motions of shutting down his workstation.  He might have been a bit more forceful than usual. 

Even if he was royally pissed and it was just a simulation, he was going to follow protocol, dammit.  Actual lives would be at stake once they were en route. Now, instead of running through models of possible scenarios, he had to go hunt down a wayward Omega.   _ Sorry about that collision, folks, I had to miss the day we covered asteroid field navigation because a spoiled brat decided to run away.  We have approximately thirteen minutes until total hull failure. As your captain, I recommend you put your head between your legs and kiss your ass good-bye. _

Yet he loathed the thought of arriving on Hipparchus to face an angry Alpha demanding to know where his mate was.  He could hardly tell Abbott that he couldn’t be bothered to find her, not unless he wanted to end up being the colony’s first murder victim.

“Do me a favour on your way out.”  Torbyn hummed an absent-minded affirmative.  “Tell Austin she owes me a beer.”

“What for?”

“She gave it a week before the Omega’d drive you nuts.  I said a day.” He flipped off Zhao, who gave him a shit eating grin.

Torbyn couldn’t wait to get off this fucking planet.


End file.
